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JARED HILL
Special to The Leader
Last Friday, the Fredonia Blue Devils women’s basketball team hosted a scrimmage against Hilbert College. While the scrimmage had no official score, it was safe to say that the Blue Devils won handily. The team scored over 80 points in a blowout victory by more than 40 points.
“We had a terrific scrimmage …we are a team that works well together,” said senior forward Sabrina Macaulay.
This is a good sign, as last year’s team ended the season on a three-game losing streak. Friday’s showcasing of the team’s high energy and fast-paced offense put that fact to rest and has turned that around into a focused, winning mentality.
Friday was also a display of the new talent added to this year’s team.
“We have four freshmen and two transfers. They bring speed, quickness and athleticism to the team,” said Head Coach Linda MacDonald.
These players include: freshmen guard Justice Nauden, forward Jenna Einink, forward Sarah Sweazy, guard Heaven Rollek, and transfers guard Taylor Storer and guard/forward Khee Nance.
Nance, a transfer student from Mercyhurst University, had a great first experience as a Fredonia Blue Devil on Friday.
“I’d say that we came out with a lot of intensity. I love my team, and, after our two scrimmages, I believe we have the talent to run the floor on teams,” said Nance.
She also has strong faith in her coaches and team. With time, she believes they are going places.
“I believe we have the hearts of champions and Linda [Hill-]MacDonald is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. If we’re going to get the job done it’s going to be this year when we’re at our best,” said Nance. “She believes in us, and with time we’ll begin to believe in ourselves. We have a lot of new pieces, but I think once we completely figure it out we’ll be a force to reckon with in the league (SUNYAC).”
The regular season opens up soon; the upcoming Grove City tournament at Penn State Behrend begins on Nov. 20. The team is still getting to know itself and is still looking to improve in major areas. Friday’s scrimmage highlighted many good things — a solid fast-break, consistent shot making, perimeter defense and showcasing a deep roster with multiple talents.
However, Hilbert did manage to expose gaps that could prove troublesome in future games. While Hilbert was struggling shooting outside, the majority of the team’s points came from second-chance buckets from offensive rebounds down low.
There are another two weeks left until the season begins at Grove City, and judging from Friday’s performance, this team hasn’t peaked after one scrimmage — it’s just getting started.